Apparatus for treating materials by ultraviolet radiation



V. M. DOWNEY APPARATUS FOR TREATING MATERIALS BY ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION Feb. 19, 1952 Filed June 8, 1948 Fig./. Fig.2.

"M z I22 /0 I24 A I /Zo l 1' r i Virgil M. Downe INVE TOR.

Feb. 19, 1952 v. M..DOWNEY APPARATUS FOR TREATING MATERIALS BY ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed June 8, 1948 m w M M u A V 0 JM 6 8 m 8 M. 0m A. 0.. m h a M u 7 8 w 7 m. 8 0 .f v. 3 4 W B 5 8 2 4 78 2 4 5 a w 2% a a w 2 w 0 1 4 m 9 2/ A M m 6 6 8 0 M 4 fl w w II HIH I HHH llrfi V n M ,r 6 4 MM mm 8 7 7 Patented Feb. 19, 1952 U N TTED PATENT F FllCE c assaezs APPARATUS :E'oR. TREATING ATERIALS 'BY"UIZTRA'VIOLET RADIATION Virgil MDovmey, Clatksburg-,W. Va. Application Juneaims, serum-053L821 3 ciaims., (01."240414) 'I'his invention relates to new and useful mi provement's in apparatus for and-method of treating materials 'andthe primaryo'bjectbf the "present'invention is to provideanapparatus'ineluding 'an ultraviolet ray lamp "for destroying bacteria life and preserving "meat" and other food "stuffs, "and novel and improved means forre'gu iatin'g the 'amount'of radiation of rayseniitted "from thelamp to facilitate the use of the'pres'ent apparatus "in varioussizesof'refrigerators, -stori'n'g compartments. or the like.

Another important object of "the present "invention is to provide an "apparatus "forjtreating 'ineat and other foodstuffs "that is 'fso'desigiied as "to provide a regulated distribution of "ultraviolet rays to meat, food stuffs orthe like in various "sizes of containers, thus "eliminating" 'thespoilage of 'meat or'the like from too much radiationpr insufiicient ultraviolet. rays.

Another object of the presentinvention is: to provide an apparatus "for treating'meats' and-tire, "Iikeincluding a pair of 'supports'betw'een"which' is mounted. an ultraviolet "ray lamp, "and novel and'improved refiector'means carried by the supports for increasing the- -efiicient-reflecting of ul-. 1

traviolet rays 'from the lamp.

Another objector the presentinvention is to provide an apparatus for treating "meat and other food stuffs that "is "extremely Fsrnall and compact in structure to facilitate the convenient, handling and placing of they same within asuit-I able storage. container.

A further object of thelpresent -invention'is to provide an apparatus 'for treating materials'all partsnofwhich are quickly andreadily assembled. or disassembled facilitating 'the convenient inzspection,.replacing or repair. o'f p'arts.

A stillrfurther aim of the present inventionds to provide an apparatus for treating meats, 'food stuffs and the like that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, neat and Ill 2 Figure? isa side "elevational view of Figure *1; v .Figure is an enlarged fragmentary fl'ontel'evation'alyiew 'ofthe present invention, and with parts "thereof 'broken away' and shown in section; and,

Figure '5 is a longitudinal-verticalsectional view taken substantially on the plane or section line 5-'-5 o'f.Figure'4.

Referring now to the drawings in "detail,

wherein "for thepurpose of illustration; there is disclosed a preferred embodiment 'of thepr'esent invention, the numeral Ill represents anup- .per, substantially rectangular housing 'thatxis formed with an opening 12 in its lower "wall :14

that ,f'rictionally "engages the flanged "portion 1'6 of. a-jclosure plate [8.

central portion 22 v of the 'cl'osureiiplate l8,"is."a preferably resilient, non-conductive plug 21' having a :pair of contact fingers "'26, mounted therein.

lifixedto the upper wall '28 of. the 'upper support I0, is asocket that universally'suppoiitsza ball (not. shown) fixed on the shanklportioh 32 of an arm memberF34.

The numeral 36- represents the lower, .'prferalily rectangular support onhousing the upper end38 offwhich isopen to fri'ctionally enibrace'the de- .pen'ding flangedportion '40. of a closureplate 42- vhaving a peripheral. stop shoulder 44 that ffri'c- 'tionally engagesjthe upper end"38. 'Fas'teners l'fi are employed; for securing the "'fian'ged portion '40 of the closure '42 .to'the upper en'df3'8 of th'esup- Removably secured" tov the central portion 48"df the closure" plate "42, by f'fa steners. "or the" like' 50, :is 'apreferably resilient socket 52. This socket"'52 isfprovide'd with "a" pair"o"f contactffingers54 "recessedtnerein.

attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings form-,. 5 ing part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to:

like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the electricalpircuit used in conjunction with the present invention;

' The lower ends 12 of the bars and sleeves 62"- extend through apertures 14 in the closure plate.

42 and terminate in tapered end portions 16 that engage substantially V-shaped grooves |8 provided in the lower wall of the lower support 36.

Fasteners 82 adjustably carried by the bottom wall 80 receivably engage internally threaded apertures 84 formed in the lower ends 12 of the bars 60 for holding the bars fixed to the support 36. Frictionally engaging annular grooves 89 provided in the sleeves 62, are annular, resilient sealing rings 39 that frictionally engage the lower face of the closure 42 to prevent moisture passing to the support 36 through the apertures I4. Removably secured by bolts or the like 90 to the bottom wall 80 of the lower support 36, is a conventional rheostat 92 having a control knob 94.

The numeral 96 represents a ultraviolet ray lamp generally, including a tube 98 having resilient plugs I at its ends which are provided with prongs I02 that engage the fingers 26 and 54. I

Extending longitudinally through a guide opening I04 provided in one of the connecting bars 60, is a pair of conductive wires I06 and I08 the lower ends H0 and H2 of which are connected to one terminal II4 of the rheostat 92 and one finger 54 of the socket 52. The remaining terminal I I6 of the rheostat 92 is connected to a conductive wire I I8 that extends from the remaining conductive finger 54 of the socket 52.

Fixed. to one wall I of the upper support I0, is a switch I22 having an actuating lever I24 and conductive terminals I26 and I28, one of which, for example I26, is connected to the wire I06. Connecting the terminal I28 of the switch I22 to one of the conductive fingers 26 for the socket 24, is a conductive wire I30.

Removably mounted within the upper support I0, is a conventional ballast I32 one terminal of which is connected to a conductive wire I34 that terminal of the ballast I32, is a further conductive wire I36 that extends with wire I08 outwardly through an opening I38 in the upper wall 28 of the upper support I0. A resilient sleeve I40 slidably mounted on the wires I36 and I08 frictionally engages the upper wall 28 for closing the opening I38.

In practical use of the present apparatus, the

same may be hung by the use of the eye member 34 or may lay on one of the faces of the upper support I0 and lower support 36. By adjusting the rheostat 92 by the knob 94, a selected quality "of ultraviolet rays radiated from the tube98majy "extends from the remaining conductive finger 26 .of the socket 24. Leading from the remaining the voltage may be set down so that the tube can be used in small containers thus eliminatin the excess searing and drying of meat due to an increase in radiation from the tube.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An apparatus for treating materials by ultraviolet radiation comprising a pair of spaced sup- .ports,-an ultra-violet ray lamp including a tube,

a plug at. each, end of the tube, sockets carried by the supports. receiving the plugs, means electrically connecting said sockets to a source of current, a rheostat housed in one of said supports for regulating the supply of current to the sockets, a plurality of connecting bars, means securing the ends of said bars to said supports, and reflectors embracing said bars, said last mentioned means including fasteners carried byone of said supports, said bars having tapered terminals, internal threaded apertures provided in the tapered terminals of said bars receivably engaging the fasteners, and grooves provided in said one of said supports receiving the tapered terminals of said bars.

2. The'combination of claim 1 whereinv each of said supports includes a plurality of fiat faces forming bearing surfaces.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first mentioned means includes electrical conductors, one of said connecting bars having an elongated opening receiving said conductors.

VIRGIL M. DOWNE'Y.

REFERENCE S CITED 7 The following references are of record in the file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

